The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Nanocomposites are materials that include nanoparticles (e.g., microscopic particles with at least one dimension less than 100 nm) dispersed in and distributed through a matrix material. Nanocomposites can exhibit enhanced properties due to the nanoparticles contained therein. For example, a nanocomposite with nanoparticles in a matrix material can exhibit mechanical strength and stiffness that is significantly higher than the matrix material alone. Other properties may be enhanced as well, such as electrical properties, dielectric properties, thermal stability, optical properties, magnetic properties, and/or acoustic properties.
In order for the nanoparticles to substantially enhance the properties of the nanocomposite, the nanoparticles should be distributed through the matrix material evenly. However, in conventional nanocomposite manufacturing, nanoparticles tend to conglomerate and cluster together such that the nanoparticles are less likely to disperse evenly through the matrix material. As such, the properties of the matrix material may not be enhanced significantly.
Thus, a method of manufacturing a nanocomposite is disclosed below wherein nanoparticles can be more evenly dispersed through a matrix material. The method can be convenient, effective, and can be completed at relatively low costs with conventional equipment. Moreover, the method can be adapted in various ways according to the desired properties of the nanocomposite, according to the amount of nanocomposite to be produced, and the like. Furthermore, the nanocomposite produced according to this method can exhibit greatly enhanced properties using relatively small concentrations of nanoparticles.